Vegan Cauliflower Pakoras; An EASY air fryer recipe! A MUST for curry night!

Vegan Potato Croquettes: https://youtu.be/Z-J4bf2Fhm8
Craving crispy, golden vegan cauliflower pakoras without the deep-frying drama? Say hello to your new air fryer go-to! In this video, I’m air-frying up two delicious batches: fluffy cauliflower florets and juicy button mushrooms, both coated in a spicy & savoury chickpea batter (yep, they’re gluten free!).

I’ll also share a refreshing vegan cucumber raita with a ras el hanout twist, and a tangy cauliflower, lemon & chile salad to balance the richness of the vegan pakoras.

Now that you have the basic recipe down, you can use all kinds of different vegetables, and try adding different spices to your batter

• Leave a comment below and let me know which veggies you’re going to pakora!
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Check the pinned comment for recipe notes and tips

In this video, you’ll learn:
✅ How to air fry pakoras
✅ What is gram flour (besan)?
✅ Is gram flour gluten free
✅ How to make batter with gram flour
✅ How to make batter extra crispy
✅ Is cauliflower stalk edible?
✅ How to make vegan raita
✅ What are preserved lemons?
✅ How to make a crunchy salad with raw cauliflower
✅ What does ras el hanout mean?

A website with printable recipes will happen at some point (this has all turned into rather a large project!) but in the meantime, here’s the ingredients. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or suggestions

Vegan Pakoras Ingredients:
Batter: (I had to make up another quantity of batter for the quantity of veg I did, so double these amounts)
9 tbl Gram Flour (Besan)
½ tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Curry Powder
¼ tsp MSG
¼ tsp Salt
150ml (½ cup + 2 tbl) Lager
1 tbl Oil (optional; alternatively, you can spray it on the outside)

Vegan Cucumber Raita:
Half a Cucumber
¼ tsp Salt
15 small Mint Leaves
1 tsp Ras el Hanout
10 tbl Plain Vegan Yoghurt
1 tbl lemon Juice

Veggies:
⅔ of a Cauliflower
200g (7.05oz) Baby Chestnut Mushrooms (any mushrooms will work)

Cauliflower & Lemon Salad:
⅓ of a Cauliflower
2 Spring Onions
5 Pickled Green Chiles
1 small Preserved Lemon
¼ tsp Black Pepper
½ tbl Walnut Oil
3 small Mint Leaves
Juice of ½ a Lemon

Mentioned Links:
Vegan Potato Croquettes: https://youtu.be/Z-J4bf2Fhm8
Smoky Harissa: https://youtu.be/UpHFqZzmkJk
Vegan Mug Cakes: https://youtu.be/rS0sK5-VReQ

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Welcome to my kitchen (lab?)
My channel is you watching the results of my 2am thoughts of “I wonder what would happen if I put A with B?” The answers lean heavily towards cake, and my ongoing quest to find a good meat substitute. I’m a vegan that loves animal products, but hates what’s involved; so I’ve dived headfirst into a rabbit hole of different plant-based textures and flavours. These are often the 1st time that I’ve tried a recipe, and I’ll talk you through why I’m using the ingredients and what I think happened when things go wrong.
Grab a vessel of whatever makes you happy and enjoy, but be warned; it’s messy here sometimes!

Timestamps:
00:00 – We’re making vegan pakoras in the air fryer!
01:47 – Making the gram flour batter
03:57 – Starting the vegan raita
04:34 – Prepping the cauliflower and mushrooms
07:28 – Dunking and baking the vegan cauliflower pakoras
08:51 – Making a cauliflower, lemon & chile salad
11:17 – Making the vegan raita
12:38 – Let’s eat some air fryer vegan pakoras!

Hello, and welcome to today’s episode,   in which I show you a tasty way of getting  in your five day; in the form of pakoras! Pakoras are a little deep fried fritter,   typically, very popular in India;  like street food vendors make them

I’ve been trying to figure out if pakoras are  the same thing as bhajis, like if it’s a regional   difference, that’s what the different words come  from… um, and I’m still a little bit in the dark So if you know, for sure feel free  to let me know in the comments!

Sometimes comes in different ways You can either get chopped  pieces of veg, vegetables,   dunked in a batter, or sometimes I’ve  seen button mushrooms dunked whole I’m going to do kind of small  cauliflower florets and then   also some chestnut mushrooms that I’ve got

We’re going to make the batter using gram  flour, so it’s going to be a gluten-free one Gram flour is a mixture of  chickpeas and yellow split peas The flour has also got a really nice  amount of protein in it as well,   because it’s chickpeas and  pea, uh yellow split peas,  

So it’s a nice extra way of getting a bit of  protein in if such things are of concern to you I’m going to reserve some of the cauliflower,   and show you how to make like a  little salad thing to go on the side I’ll also show you how to make a cucumber raita,  

Which is a mixture of cucumber,  yogurt and some other tasty things Very similar to a Greek tzatziki We’ll start by prepping the  cucumber for the raita first,   cuz I want to salt it just to get some of  that liquid out, cuz otherwise it splits

Especially if you make, you know; an  amount extra and have in the fridge;   it just splits and it just… it’s not so pleasant I’ve just changed my mind completely! We’re going to make the batter first cuz then that   be sitting for a few minutes  just to absorb a little bit

Because it’s dried beans that are powdered down,   so it can be a little bit grainy, so I’m going  to leave it to sit for a good 10 minutes or so If you want to learn how to make  delicious vegan food like this,   make sure you like this video,  subscribe to the channel,  

And then tap that Bell icon you’ll be  alerted as soon as a new one’s published! This is the gram flour that we’re going to  use; it’s a very pale yellow kind of colour,   and it’s a little bit grainy, especially  in comparison to a wheat flour

Don’t eat it raw though,  it’s really, really bitter It’s a horrible flavour so  you don’t want to eat it raw Going to do a few tablespoons… That’s probably 8 tablespoons something like that I’m going to take a few seconds just  to crush some of these lumps down

It’s really difficult to get the lumps  back out again once you add the liquid Going to add a few spices and seasonings  into the batter, just for some extra flavour I’ve got half a teaspoon of garlic granules I’m going to do a teaspoon of garam  masala; this is like a spice blend

Feel free to use, for example, just  ground cumin, or just some curry powder I’ve just remembered I’ve got this pot  of curry powder that I’ve had for ages,   been out of date for a while [LAUGH] so  I’m going to put some of that in as well I’ll do a teaspoon of that

This one’s got very similar ingredients,  but there’s also fenugreek in this   one and some cayenne pepper, so  it’ll give a little bit of punch You can also toast off your own spices  and then grind them down if you prefer,   that that will give more flavour

Going to do a heaped quarter teaspoon of MSG If you don’t like MSG, don’t use it I don’t need to hear your negative comments,  like make a decision for yourself okay? And quarter teaspoon of salt I use pink salt just cuz  I like the kind of mineral  

Flavour that it’s got but use anything you like Going to go in with my whisk  just to mix everything together For liquid, I’m going to use some lager Beer batter; it goes like extra crispy and light,   I think because of the the  bubbles perhaps carbon dioxide?

Just use water if you don’t have  it, or you could use soda water Aargh, that’s frothing {LAUGH} I’m going to make… I’ll add some… That was probably… I don’t know 80ml or so The quantities aren’t going to matter so  much, it’s more about the texture of it

Yeah I think that might be okay Maybe I’ll add a little bit more flour in I’m going to add another teaspoon back  in of the flour, just want a little bit   thicker because I don’t want it just to slide  off the veg when I put them in the air fryer

Yeah, I think that’s going to be good So we’ll just push this to the side I’m going to grate down half a cucumber You don’t need to use the ;cucumber if you want,   you can make it with just the yogurt  and the other bits I’m going to put in

But, a thing like this pairs really nicely with   quite spicy and spiced food cuz  it’s very cool and refreshing I’m going to transfer this into the bowl I’m going to add in a quarter teaspoon of  the salt, and the salt is going to help  

Pull some of that liquid out and it’ll  also provide a bit of seasoning as well Once I start actually making the raita,   I’ll just give it a good squeeze,  get some of this liquid out Now it’s on to prepping the  cauliflower and the mushrooms

This cauliflower is looking a  little bit sorry for itself [LAUGH] I’ve had it in the fridge for a while  thinking, “Oh, I need it for that video!” But yeah… so I’m just going  to pull off the outer leaves The best way of doing the florets;  

If you pull the stem down you want to  get the tip of your knife into there What you want to do is kind  of cut around the middle,   and then you can pull the stalk out in one piece And I’m probably going to slice  that down and see what it’s like  

And then we can eat that as well, perfectly edible I’m going to cut into the stalk, but not all  the way through, and then just pull it back   cuz it just means you’re not cutting into these  fluffy bits so you get less wastage kind of thing

For me, that’s a good size because  the smaller the pieces are,   the more dipping and faffing  around you’re going to have to do I think I’ll keep that amount  to make the little salad thing

And bits that are a bit unequal; I will just  have to do them a bit smaller but that’s okay And then with the stem; just going to take  that base bit off cuz that can be a bit dry Take off the outer layer just  cuz it’s a little bit fibrous

And then I’m going to try a little piece  of it just to see what the texture is like,   because if it’s not too fibrous, not too  stringy, then I’ll pop it in the salad If not, then I’ll fry it Yeah that’s going to be good for the salad

Pop that in a separate Bowl So that’s going to be the salad bits For the mushrooms, I’m pretty  much going to leave them alone Might take off that end a little bit,  again just cuz it can be a bit hard

Give them an inspection, see if there’s  any dirt or anything, brush it off Yeah, and then I’ll dunk the whole thing in I might have to air fry these in  batches cuz my air fryer is not massive Ideally want it in a single layer

You can also do it in the deep fat fryer,  but after doing those potato croquettes,   I need to stay away from fat for a while  cuz it took ages to clean the kitchen! You can also shallow fry them I imagine, or do  them in the oven; you got some options there

Now, I might not have enough batter, so I’m  going to do like an equal amount of both;   I’ll make sure I’ve got enough to  do some cauliflower some mushrooms,   rather than doing all the cauliflower  then discovering I’ve run out of batter

I might sprinkle some of them with some fine  semolina, just to get a bit of extra crunch Not sure, haven’t decided Semolina is made with wheat, so that’s  not gluten-free, so avoid this if you’re   celiac or gluten intolerant, or  you’re making it for someone who is Stay away from that

You could use polenta in place of  that, or cornmeal that kind of thing I’ve got a separate little dish that  I’m going to put the battered ones into,   so I’m preheating the air fryer at 185,  which is 350 something, maybe 360 Fahrenheit And I’ll probably air fry them at 180 which is 350

Yeah I don’t think I’ve done enough  batter by half, but that’s fine I’m going to dunk a piece  in, get it covered everywhere I’m going to try and get some in the  crevices, and then just flick off the excess Pop them in a separate pan

Cuz once I fill up that dish, that’s… I’m  getting to a good amount for the air fryer Now, I’m hoping by doing them in the air fryer and  using the gram flour, I’m hoping these are going  

To get a bit more golden than wheat things  do, like when I’ve used panko in the past,   you never get that same golden brown  that you do when you deep fry things Do a few mushrooms I’m going to mix up the same amount  of batter again, I’ll leave that sit,  

Put this batch in, make the  salad, put the second batch in I lined the basket with paper, just  to make clean up a little bit easier Arranging them so there’s a  bit of space in between each,   just so they don’t fuse  together into one mammoth pakora

I maybe should have put some oil in the  batter to help it get some crispness on it… I’m going to add some into the other  batch just to see if it makes a difference And then I’ll spray that on  everything, put some on the paper,  

And then I’ll do these for 10 minutes at  180 and I’ll have her look halfway through I’m going to sprinkle a little  pinch of semolina onto a few of them Onto the little cauliflower salad type thing All I’m going to do is just  very finely chop everything down

If you fancy the idea of doing the salad  but you can’t be bothered with the prep;   you can buy riced cauliflower, you know; in  like the fridge section at the supermarket Got my slices, now I’m just going to  keep going back through with the knife

For the main part, I’m just going to do kind  of slices, but it will just fall apart mostly And then same as with the stalk;  just keep breaking it down Show you the pakoras after 5 minutes

Getting a nice amount of colour on there, and  when I poke it, it’s firm, which is a great sign Yeah, I reckon other five will do it You can also chop this in the food processor  if you want, just don’t go too small I mean, you can if you want

I like a nice bit of texture in there, you  know; some big bits in amongst the little bits I’ve got two spring onions, so I’m  just going to peel off the outer layer Cut them in half Fine chop on those Go back through it a couple  of times, just into small bits

Put that in the bowl Got some pickled green  chilies that I’m going to use Fresh might be nicer but I haven’t got any in Mince those down I was going to squirt in some lemon juice  for a bit of zingy freshness in flavour;  

I just remembered I’ve got these  preserved lemons in the fridge Can’t remember what I used that in.. Oh! The harissa I think it was I’ll pop the link to that in the description These are just whole lemons that have  been… I want to say lacto fermented,  

So they’ve just been coated in salt and preserved I’m going to chop that down I’ll pull out any little pips as I see them And then I might pop in some  extra lemon juice if it needs it,   you know; just for a bit of extra lift

I’ll add a healthy grind of black pepper I’m going to use walnut oil It’s got a very mildly nutty  flavour, but it’s quite a light oil You could use pumpkin seed,  hemp, olive oil as well Give that a good mix together Not adding any extra salt because  those lemons are very salty

If it needs it once I’ve mixed everything  together, then I can add it in that way Give it a taste Tasty, but I want it juicier so I’m  going to add in the juice of half a lemon If you haven’t got a reamer; you can  just stick your fork in and twist it,  

That’ll get the juice out really well Shredded down a few mint leaves, fresh  mint, I’m just going to slide that in Perfect! Alright Decant the Cucumber through a sieve If you want the cucumber really, really; dry  feel free to stick it through a a nut milk bag

You can see how much juice comes out! Picked off another load of fresh mint It’s probably 15 leaves there, so I’m  going to do that same fine shred on them I’m just going to fold it up into a little parcel  like that, and then blast the knife through it Put the mint in

Good grinder of black pepper,  quarter teaspoon or so I’m going to put ras el hanout in mine The literal Arabic translation is “head of the  shop” so it’s like the best the shopkeeper does It’s a very similar thing to garam masala,   but this is more North African,  whereas garam masala is Indian

But this one has also got things  like mace and nutmeg, rose petals It’s just slightly different spices I’ll start with like a half teaspoon  and then I can always add a bit more in And then the plain yogurt You want to find one ideally with  no sugars, cuz it will be less sweet

Don’t know… maybe 10 tablespoons You just want it wet so it’s like  that kind of dipping sauce consistency A bit more spice and I think it’s good to go Maybe a touch a lemon as well Fresh coriander would also be really nice in here

I don’t have any though which is  a shame, but use anything you like Now there is a delicious looking board of food Yum! Yeah, the pakora came out better than I hoped  it would, and you can see how golden they are That’s perfect I’ve grabbed up one of the cauliflower

You can see the coating on there; it’s  not too thick but it’s not too thin either So let’s have a munch Mmmm The spicing on that is really pleasant That’s a delicious nibble And it’s really easy to make as well, you know;  

Just whip the ingredients together, dunk  them in, and chuck them in the air fryer That’s going to be a great midweek meal, you know;  get home from work and just knock it up real quick Mmmm Show you the inside So the cauliflower; it’s still  got a slight bit of texture to it,  

It’s not just mush, so I think that  10 minute cooking time was perfect And you can kind of see the  layer of batter on the outside Spoon a bit of the dip I’m just going to be a pig and go for it Mmmmmm

The raita is perfect with it, because  it’s a bit cool and refreshing it goes   really nicely with the kind of rich,  umami flavours of the the pakora With the mushroom ones; if you’re doing them  whole mushrooms and you’re eating them straight  

Out of the air fryer, be careful when you  bite into it because it’s going to be hot,   and you might well get a burst of of mushroom  juice in your mouth which can be painful These have been sitting for a while, while  I took some pictures so I should be okay Mmmmm!

Grabbed one of the ones with the semolina on Yeah, it does give a bit of extra crunch But it doesn’t get any colour on it, so it’s a  payoff whether you want crunch or you want colour I imagine these will reheat  really well as well, you know;  

Just pop them in for a couple minutes  something like that, maybe 3 or 4 minutes Going to spare up a little bit of salad Mmmm That’s also got really refreshing, bright,   zingy flavours to it, which go really nicely  with the deep, savoury flavour of the pakora Spot on!

I’ve just checked my camera and I’ve been  rolling for an hour and forty minutes Filming things makes everything take at least  twice as long, because I have to move the lights   around, I have to repeat things if I mess  up a sentence, I have to cut coughing out

You know, all that kind of stuff I reckon easily 45 minutes and it’s…  say an hour including clean down Yeah, so that’s going to be a great midweek meal It’s also a really nice way of getting  some extra protein in there because of  

The gram flour, and probably a great way  of getting veg into your kids, you know,   if they’re not fans, if they don’t love  vegetables especially broccoli and cauliflower That’s going to be a really nice  way of getting some veg in them I’m now going to roll straight into  making some microwave mug cakes,  

So I’ll end this video by saying hello and  thank you to my supporters over on Patreon It’s lovely to have a little community who support   me emotionally and financially  in all my creative endeavours If you want to join up, I’ll leave the  link down in the description for you

You’ll get some bonus content and  access to some extra bits and pieces For more fabulous vegan recipes  that are ready in not long at all;   like this video and subscribe to the channel If you tap the bell icon, you’ll be  alerted as soon as a new video is published

And then while you’re waiting for  next week’s, have a look at this